


By the End of the Night

by macandcaseus



Category: Purple Hyacinth - Ephemerys & Sophism (Webcomic)
Genre: F/F, men are trash, they're doing hot girl shit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-15 18:22:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29937513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/macandcaseus/pseuds/macandcaseus
Summary: “Bad date?”Lauren turned, hand still trying to sift through her coat’s fabric. A woman was leaning against the restaurant, cigarette clutched between her fingers, warm lamplight falling on fluffy, pink curls.She scoffed. “Yeah.”“Oh, darling,” the woman said, her voice smooth as honey. “If I may be so bold as to offer to take you for a drink? Just to get your mind off this asshole.”
Relationships: Belladonna Davenport/Lauren Sinclair
Comments: 5
Kudos: 24





	By the End of the Night

**Author's Note:**

> happy birthday 2 the baddest bitch i know. bones, i hope you get all the milfs and dilfs of your dreams today <3

Lauren slammed the restaurant’s door behind her, chest tight with anger, face aflame with embarrassment. She swiped at her coat, clutched in her arm, searching for her phone to order an Uber—she’d have to walk somewhere else so he couldn’t come out and try to convince her he wasn’t a complete dirtbag, but she’d figure that out in a minute or so.

“Bad date?”

Lauren turned, hand still trying to sift through her coat’s fabric. A woman was leaning against the restaurant, cigarette clutched between her fingers, warm lamplight falling on fluffy, pink curls.

Lauren scoffed, gaze turning back to her coat. “Yeah,” she said, hand finally slipping into the pocket, pulling out her phone. “If his incessant talking wasn’t bad enough, turns out the bastard’s married. Just what I always wanted in a man—someone who wants a side piece.”

“Oh, darling,” the woman said, her voice smooth as honey, dripping down Lauren’s spine, sending a shiver through her. She stepped away from the wall, dropping her cigarette and crushing it under the point of her black high heel, and came to stand next to Lauren. “If I may be so bold as to offer to take you for a drink? Just to get your mind off this asshole.”

Lauren looked at her, her orange eyes, simmering on her skin, cherry-red lips pursed in … amusement? Pity? She let out a huff, looking down to her phone. “Thank you, but I don’t accept invitations from people whose names I don’t know.”

“Belladonna Davenport,” the woman said, holding out her hand. Lauren looked back at her, and Belladonna raised a brow. “You accepted an invitation from this guy, whose name you presumably knew. Look how that turned out.” When Lauren remained still, Belladonna sighed, tilting her head. “I just want to help you feel better after a shitty night. If you really want to, presumably, go home and sulk, I’m not going to force you. But,” she sighed, her hand wilting, “I know what it’s like to go on shitty dates. Hell, most people do. And I just want to help a pretty woman like yourself feel a little less shitty, especially when you did nothing to deserve going out with this asshole.”

Lauren hesitated a moment more. _She’s not lying._ She reached for Belladonna’s hand, giving her a firm shake. “Lauren Sinclair. You’ve got … quite the name, Belladonna.”

She smiled at her, squeezing her hand. “Well, my friends call me Bella.”

Lauren raised an eyebrow. “Is that an invitation for me to call you Bella as well?”

Belladonna let out a low chuckle, and Lauren’s breath caught at the way her eyes crinkled, her lips curved into a gentle smile. “Let’s see if we’re friends by the end of the night, hm?”

* * *

“God, he was just spitting lies the whole time!” Lauren exclaimed, leaning back in her chair, one arm on the bar, the other lifting her almost-finished Manhattan to her lips.

Belladonna laughed, her head resting on her fist, elbow propped on the bar as her nails clicked against the base of her orange Vesper. “Like what?”

Lauren rolled her eyes, taking another swallow of her cocktail. “How hard he works at his family’s business, something about putting his life on the line for a cashier when a robber came into a store once, and of course … his poor wife.” She sighed, looking into her glass. “I should track her down and tell her. Show her all the messages he’s sent me since we met online.”

“I’d be happy to help,” Belladonna said. “I’m great at finding people.”

Lauren let out a small laugh. “Should I be concerned?”

Belladonna gave her a wink. “Not unless you end up cheating on your partner.”

“I may not be perfect, but I’m not that awful,” Lauren said, shaking her head.

“Guess you have nothing to worry about, then.” Belladonna took a sip of her drink, the blood orange floating on top bumping against the side of the glass. “Men are trash. I’m so glad I’m not interested in them.”

“Oh?” Lauren asked, pinching the stem of her glass, pulse quickening.

Belladonna smirked at her, moving to settle her chin in her palm. “That doesn’t make you uncomfortable, does it?”

“No!” Lauren said, shaking her head. “No. I date women, too. Obviously not tonight, but…” she waved her hand. “I’m interested. I have.”

“Not tonight? What do you call this, then?” Belladonna asked, flicking her hand between the two of them.

Lauren choked on the swig she had just taken from her glass, and Belladonna laughed. “Kidding, darling. I don’t imagine you’d want to put yourself out there so soon after breaking that poor man’s heart.” She pushed her lip into an exaggerated pout before downing the rest of her drink. “Another round?”

“Oh,” Lauren said, looking at her glass, almost empty. “Thank you, but I know how expensive drinks are, I can’t ask you to—”

“Don’t worry about it,” Belladonna said, shaking her head, her curls swishing back and forth. “I know the owner. The bartenders know to give me half off on all drinks.”

“Damn,” Lauren said, eyes widening. “I ran into the right woman.”

“Glad you think so,” Belladonna said as she signaled the bartender for another round for each of them. She fished the orange slice out of her drink and pinched it open, biting into the fruit, and Lauren found her gaze lingering on her mouth, lipstick slightly smudged from the drink.

She blinked when their next drinks were set down and finished her glass, sliding the cherries on the little skewer off and popping them into her mouth, each bursting between her teeth in a rush of sweetness.

“Drink up, Miss Sinclair,” Belladonna said, holding up her glass. “You deserve a wonderful rest of your evening.”

Lauren clinked her glass against hers. “Thank you, Miss Davenport. I think, because of you, I will.”

* * *

They had each finished their second drink, then a third. Conversation slid from romantic mishaps to anecdotes about their jobs—Lauren and her position as a police detective, Belladonna and the acting troupe she was a part of. The more Belladonna talked, the more Lauren found herself unable to tear her eyes away from her, the strands of hair that coiled, framing her face, the way she laughed, her mouth lopsided and wide with joy, the easy gestures of her hands, acting out her stories, falling on Lauren’s wrist and knee as though she had no idea how those small touches sparked against her skin, flashing through her veins and against her heart.

After their third drink, Lauren shook her head at the suggestion of a fourth, and Bella nodded. “Smart woman,” she said, sliding from her barstool and slinging her purse over her shoulder. “Shall we move on? I have to visit the restroom first, though.”

“Sounds good to me,” Lauren said, following suit, giving the bartender a polite smile as Bella waved at him, heading toward the back of the bar.

Once the door was closed, the din of chatter and music was muffled, and without the background noise, that weightlessness of being tipsy hit Lauren’s limbs, and she closed her eyes, tilting her head to the side, a soft smile playing across her lips. _Haven’t been tipsy in a bit,_ she thought, making her way to a stall. _It really is a nice feeling._

When she stepped out, Belladonna was touching up her lipstick at the mirror before her reflected eyes met Lauren’s and she gave her a smile. “Are you done for the evening, or was there anything else you’d like to do to redeem this night?” she asked, dropping her lipstick back in her purse.

Lauren twisted the handle on the sink, shaking her head as she lathered her hands in the warm water. “Honestly, I’m not used to going out like this and, at the risk of sounding lame, I am pretty tired. But I don’t think there’s much else you could do for me to make this night better. You’ve definitely succeeded at that already.”

“Glad to hear it.” Belladonna stepped closer as Lauren dried her hands, sending a spark through Lauren’s heart. “Spending the night with you really was fun.” Lauren’s gaze caught on her lips before lifting her eyes. Belladonna tilted her head. “You know, I’ve been thinking this all night, but, wow. Your eyes …”

_Don’t say it, please don’t say—_

“They’re so … _alive_ ,” Belladonna said, searching Lauren’s golden eyes.

“Oh. Thank you.” Lauren swallowed, mouth dry as Belladonna’s gaze flicked down, setting her pulse racing.

In her heels, Lauren tilted back, losing her balance and stumbling away, clearing her throat and looking down, pretending to continue to dry her hands. She dropped the towel in the trash and, eyes still down, asked, “Should we get going?”

“Yeah,” Belladonna said, stepping backward before turning to the door. “Let’s go.”

Lauren followed her through the bar, the noise flooding her after the quiet of the bathroom. Outside, the temperature had dropped, and Lauren buried her hands in her coat, pulling it tight around her before taking her phone out. “You payed for all my drinks, do you want a ride home?”

Belladonna waved her hand. “No, I live pretty much on the outskirts of the city. Don’t want you having to pay that fee.”

Lauren gave a soft laugh, shaking her head. “So what, you’ll walk there instead? I can’t let you do that, especially at night.”

Belladonna’s lips curved into a smile. “Trust me, darling, I can handle anything the night throws at me. From a woman coming off of a shitty date to things much more dangerous.”

“Belladonna, I can't—”

“Belladonna?” she laughed, tapping Lauren’s cheek with her palm. “We are definitely friends by now, dear. You can call me Bella.”

Lauren froze, the warmth of Bella’s hand on her face wiping everything else from her mind. “We are?”

Bella let out another low chuckle, her thumb rubbing Lauren’s cheek, Lauren leaning gently into the touch. “You need some convincing?”

Lauren’s breath caught in her chest as Bella made a small step forward. “What kind of convincing?”

Bella smiled, and Lauren returned it before the pink-haired woman leaned forward, and this time, Lauren made sure to move closer, not stumble back.

When her lips brushed against hers, roses and a hint of fruit wreathed Lauren, and she sighed, lifting her fingertips to Bella’s jaw. Bella stepped closer, one arm snaking around Lauren’s waist, holding her close as they kissed, soft and slow.

Lauren smiled against her, fingers trailing up her jaw to her hair, as fluffy against her palms as it looked. A giggle bubbled up her throat, falling into the space between Bella’s lips until she was laughing, too.

“What?” Bella asked, pulling back from the kiss but leaning her forehead against Lauren’s.

“This is just …” Lauren grinned. “A really great end to this night.”

Bella returned her laughter, low, settling warmly in Lauren’s chest. “Good. I must say I agree.”

Lauren nudged Bella’s nose with hers, and they returned to their kiss, Lauren twirling her fingers in Bella’s hair, Bella’s hand cupping her cheek, her other clutching her coat. When they broke away again, Lauren sighed, looking at her phone. “I really should be heading home. You’re certain you don’t want a ride?”

“Yes,” Bella said, dipping her head in a small nod. “And before you ask about it, no, I’m not the kind of woman to go home with someone on the first date.”

Lauren laughed. “You like to do a bit of romancing first?”

Bella winked, and Lauren’s heart fluttered. “Indeed I do.”

“Well,” Lauren said, her gaze dropping to the ground, “I hope that means you’d be happy to continue this romancing?”

Bella tilted her head, that smile still in place. “I think so.” She held out her hand, and Lauren gave her her phone. “There’s my number.”

Back in her hand, Lauren sent a text, and a soft buzz sounded inside Bella’s purse. “There I am,” she said as she took it out, glancing at the screen, double-taking and letting a smile break across her face. “Cute,” she said, eyebrow raised.

Lauren shrugged. “So you don’t forget what I look like.”

“I don’t think that’s going to be much of an issue.”

Lauren’s face flushed, and she looked back down to her phone to order an Uber. “Three minutes away,” she said before looking back to Bella. “Really. Thank you so much for tonight.”

“Thank _you._ ”

“Next time,” Lauren said, pointing at her, “I’m paying for dinner or drinks or whatever we end up doing.”

“That’s only fair,” Bella said, reaching to grab Lauren’s hand, bringing it to her lips to kiss her knuckles. “I look forward to it.”

They held hands, making small conversation as the car approached, inching closer on the map on Lauren’s phone. When she caught sight of a red car fitting the description on the app approaching, Lauren squeezed Bella’s hand. “I’ll see you around.”

“Soon,” Bella said, leaning in for a final, gentle kiss, leaving the subtle taste of orange and gin on Lauren’s lips as she pulled away. “Sweet dreams.”

“You too.”

Lauren stepped into the car, and the two gave small waves at it pulled away, toward Lauren’s home.

She rested her elbow on the door, pressing her fingers to her lips, widening into a smile. A buzz from her phone broke her from her thoughts, and she looked down to see _Bella Davenport_ light up her screen.

She opened the text, face warming as she grinned. She had sent a photo of her and her best friend, smiling at their last girl’s day out. Bella had sent a photo of just herself, taken in a mirror, giving the camera a coy smile.

_Damn,_ Lauren thought as she typed a response. _Pretty good date night after all, huh._

**Author's Note:**

> they're simply bad bitches :debbyryan:


End file.
